1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a ramp for loading a small vehicle into a truck. More particularly, this invention pertains to a loading ramp adapted to be carried by the truck such the loading ramp optimizes the storage space provided by the truck.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exists a need for transporting a small vehicle, such as a lawnmower, an ATV, or a snowmobile, by way of a truck, such as a pickup truck or a sports utility vehicle, without utilizing a trailer. To satisfy this need, many inventions in the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,913,305, 6,705,820, 5,807,058, 5,649,732, 5,603,600, 5,380,141, 4,990,049, 3,726,423, 3,720,335, 3,687,314, 3,704,794, and 3,613,920, provide a ramp that abuts the bed of a truck. More specifically, the ramp provides an incline between the ground and the bed of the truck. In accordance with these prior art inventions, the small vehicle is pushed, pulled, or driven from the ground, up the ramp, and into the bed of the truck. After the small vehicle is in the bed of the truck, the ramp is positioned to define a vertical wall of the bed, is removed from the pickup truck and stored elsewhere, or is transported in the bed. One limitation of these prior art inventions is that the ramp is either not transported by the pickup truck or is transported in the bed of the pickup truck, limiting the storage space provided by the pickup truck. Additionally, after being loaded into the truck, the small vehicle occupies the great majority of the bed of the truck such that other gear, supplies, tools, or equipment cannot be transported in the bed.
Other prior art inventions, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,150,591, 5,393,191, and 5,380,141, also include a platform disposed within and secured to the bed of a truck such that a space is defined between the platform and the floor of the bed. In accordance with these prior art inventions, a small vehicle is pushed, pulled, or driven from the ground, up the ramp, and to the platform such that the small vehicle is positioned above the floor of the bed of the truck. Although, the space between the platform and the floor of the bed provides storage space at the floor of the bed, the space is limited by the structure of the platform. Additionally, positioning the small vehicle above the bed of the truck raises the center of gravity of the truck, making it more prone to tipping over and more difficult to manage while driving. Consequently, a ramp for loading a small vehicle into the bed of a truck, for being carried by the truck, and for not limiting the storage space provided by the truck is desired.